At First
by cruiscin lan
Summary: For some reason he still watches the tempting sway of her skirt when she flounces out of the music room in a huff, and she unconsciously sits beside him when she returns. Puck/Rachel.


The first time he slushies her is October of freshman year. Six weeks into the school year is more than enough time needed for Rachel to annoy the entire McKinley High student body with her attention-seeking ways. She manages to join at least ten clubs, and when the Cheerios reject her, she campaigns to form a flag line (according to Figgins, there isn't room in the budget). So even if no one knows her name, everyone recognizes her in the hallway, and it's during one of her more obnoxious appeals to the junior varsity football team for their support that Puck finally snaps. Without even thinking he tosses his ice-cold drink from 7-Eleven all over her pristine white cashmere sweater.  The gesture quickly cements his reputation as an asshole while at the same time earns him the respect of the upperclassmen, especially those on the football team. Puck starts to think of it as a running gag, like in a cartoon - he's Foghorn Leghorn and Rachel's the tiny obnoxious chicken hawk, or something like that.   It doesn't bother him to see her flinch from the corner of his eye whenever he passes her in the hallway. 

*****

The first time they kiss doesn't count, really, because she's got Finn on her mind and he's just making out for the sake of making out. It's not even _good_. It's mostly just weird for Rachel, considering she doesn't even _like_ him (Puck, on the other hand, is used to kissing people he doesn't really like. It's a solid business practice, as far as he's concerned.)

It isn't really a relationship. They never go on a date, and they never call one another _boyfriend_ and _girlfriend_. It should be easy, then, to put the whole thing behind them when they break up. But for some reason he still watches the tempting sway of her skirt when she flounces out of the music room in a huff, and she unconsciously sits beside him when she returns.

*****

The first time they dance together (not just for Glee practice, or something) is at the Sadie Hawkins, when the girls invite the boys and they all show up wearing matching khakis and sweaters, not long after the glee club's sectionals win. It's the lamest event of the year, but Quinn asks him to go with her. Even as she's struggling to do this on her own, she's also still trying to hold onto anything remotely normal in her life, and serving as a date to the high school dance is the least he can do for her. Quinn's less interested in him, however, than she is in spending time with the few people who are still her friends, so it doesn't take Puck long to let his gaze wander across the gymnasium.

That's when he sees her, leaning up against the wall. She stands out because she's the only person he can find wearing that particular shade of sunshine yellow. Even Brittany could figure out that her date must have stood her up.

"Hey, Quinn," he says, turning to his own date. She's sitting at a table with Brittany and Becky, of all people, chatting happily away. "Do you mind if I go say hi to Berry?"

Quinn follows the line of his gaze to where Rachel stands all alone, and she gives Puck a sad smile and a small nod and he's gone.

"Hey, Rach," he says to her, and she's been so intently staring at her feet the whole time that she jumps when he says her name.

"Noah!" she gasps as she regains her composure. "Why are you talking to me? I thought you came with Quinn."

"She's talking to, like, Brittany and stuff," Puck briefly explains. "Where's your date?"

"He... he was supposed to meet me here," Rachel replies. It's sad that she's still holding on to a glimmer of hope that he might come, her knight in shining armor, to rescue her from the humiliation of being all by herself at the dance.

"Finn's stood you up before, hasn't he?" Puck asks, and Rachel is _this close_ to tears. She's thinking of the time he kissed her and then ran out of the auditorium, the time he led her on so she'd join the Glee club again, how he'd left her on her own for the co-captain pictures, and suddenly her heart is breaking.

Puck doesn't have the best track record at comforting chicks who cry, so he acts on instinct, taking her by the hand and leading her to the dance floor. It's a slow song, not anything he would have chosen intentionally, but he's learned a move or two from Mr. Schuester so he's not completely hopeless. He sets his hands on her waist as she places hers on his shoulders, and they move together _one-two-three one-two-three_ in time with the music.

For a few brief measures, at least, they're perfectly in sync.

*****

The first time they _do it_ isn't the first time for either of them. He's far more experienced than she is, by far, but she's no longer a blushing virgin herself. She's been with Finn for four months now and one night when she feels like she's losing his attention she calls Puck, who is used to coming when he's called so he doesn't even think to refuse.

They meet in the 7-Eleven parking lot. She brings wine coolers. It feels a little bit like deja vu to him, except this time he's got a condom.

They fumble in the back seat of her car for a while. Their kisses are sloppy and awkward; their touches are urgent and nervous. She moves faster than he expects, losing her sweater and her shirt before he's even hard. He unfastens his belt and his jeans and lets them fall down his thighs as he lifts her skirt and she pulls the dainty, lacy fabric of her panties aside.

It's quick, it's stupid, it's wrong, and she's thinking of Finn the whole time _again_, so maybe this doesn't count either.

*****

The last time they talk to one another is at their high school graduation. He just barely makes the grades to walk; she's salutatorian (she tried appealing to Figgins, but two gay dads with connections with the ACLU could only get her so far with the disaffected principal after a while). Of course they tell each other they'll hang out over the summer, of course they say they'll keep in touch - that's the sort of thing everyone tells each other to keep from having to say an honest-to-god _goodbye_.

Her dream is to go to Juilliard, but she ends up at a performing arts school in Pittsburgh instead. He keeps up his pool-cleaning business and lives at his mom's while he takes a few classes at the nearest professional school.

They run into one another purely by chance, when she's home for the holidays in the middle of her junior year.

"Puck? Noah Puckerman, is that you?" she asks. "You look really different without the mohawk."

He smiles back at her. "I see you've discovered how to dress like a grown-up."

It's a little strange, at first, but they banter a little and exchange contact information, but he can't wait more than an hour before calling her up and inviting her out. She accepts without hesitation.

It's like love at first sight, the second time around.


End file.
